


Breathless

by laraanita



Category: Thrilling Intent (Web Series)
Genre: #blamesunset, Gen, you might wanna get the tissues ready
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-28 17:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3863086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laraanita/pseuds/laraanita
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kier and Ashe awaken on a ship bound for who knows where. Ashe can't get her not-magic to work, and Kier's got nothing to get them out of their situation. No one even knows where they are. The ship gets caught in ship to ship combat, and the water begins to fill their prison...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathless

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunsetmondays](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetmondays/gifts).



> #blamesunset for sending me an OTP prompt about this scenario. Beginning to think I get some of my best ideas from Sunset <3

Kier awoke, rising from the dark of unconsciousness to an aching head and a rolling stomach. He fought down the nausea and realised the rocking floor under him wasn't part of his suffering. He was on a boat then, a ship. He looked up, blinking in the dimness to see that his hands were chained up above his head, forcing him to stand stretched out. A futile tug only made them clank together and he gritted his teeth at the pain that flared up in his wrists when the manacles rubbed against his raw skin. He had to fight back the urge to whimper. He really didn't like being in pain, or being bound up like this.

 

Looking down at his feet, he realised he wasn't alone in the small room. Ashe was chained up in a similar manner close by, still unconscious from the looks of it. He eyed the shorter woman's manacles worriedly, noticing the way odd purple runes seemed to float over the metal. Occasionally her fingers would flicker with a green spark only for a spark of purple to appear and dig into her skin, causing her to flinch. He really didn't like whatever was going on there. Ashe's not-magic was likely to be their only way out of this, the others didn't have a clue they'd even been picked up by these pirates.

 

"Ashe. Hey, Ashe!" Kier's throat was a little dry and his voice came out rather raspy and scratched sounding but it did little to stir Ashe from her slumber. He wished for water but knew it was pretty unlikely he'd be getting any for a long time. "Ashe!"

 

She stirred at last, eyes fluttering open with a groan from parched and bloody split lips. She winced raised her head, looking at Kier with some surprise. "Kier?"

 

Kier exhaled in relief. "You're awake, great! I wish I had some good news for you Ashe, but I don't. I don't think anyone even knows we're missing."

 

"...Fuck." Ashe croaked. She looked up at her bonds and paled when she noticed the purple runes running over her manacles. Kier didn't take that as a good sign. "Fuck. Kier, I can't get out of these. I can't do anything with these on. Please tell me you've got something?"

 

Kier glumly shook his head, looking down so he wouldn't have to see the disappointment in her eyes. "Sorry Ashe. They took everything from me. I don't even have my tools." Not to mention that chained up like this, he wouldn't even be able to use them.

 

"We're so fucked." Ashe whispered, a touch of fear in her voice.

 

They stood there in silence for a few moments, aside from the shifting clink of the chains around their wrists and ankles, before they heard the distant sound of shouting and running feet. Kier lifted his head, hope rising in his chest. "You think-?"

 

Cannon fire resounded on the top deck and they shared a hopeful glance. The ship shuddered as it gave and received fire, Ashe clutching at the hope that somehow the others had found out and had taken a ship and a crew from somewhere to come find them. Her skin pricked in warning and she barely had time to yell, "Kier look down!" before the far wall exploded in shrapnel. Wood splinters, water, and fragments of cannonball exploded over them and they could do little but shut their eyes and turn their faces away.

 

When Ashe opened them again, she realised her feet were getting wet. "Shit, don't tell me..."

 

Kier looked over his shoulder at the damaged bulkhead and this time he couldn't contain the whimper. Water sprayed in at high pressure and began to fill their prison at an alarming rate. Already it was almost at their ankles. "Ashe!" he turned back to her, eyes blown wide in panic.

 

"Easy Kier!" Ashe swallowed her own fear. "Look at me. We're going to be fine. This ship won't sink, if it's them then they wouldn't want us to drown. They'll find us."

 

Kier swallowed a gulp of air and nodded frantically. "Right, right, you're right. We'll be fine."

 

The ship continued to shudder and quake, the timbers groaning as it took more cannon fire than it gave. The room began to tilt slowly and the water came ever faster. Ashe did her best to distract Kier from what she was swiftly realising was the inevitable outcome of this. A cold weight settled in her stomach as she accepted what was going to happen to her, and to her friend.

 

The water was at Ashe's waist by the time Kier realised they weren't going to get out of this. He looked at her with heartbroken eyes and tugged on his chains. "Ashe..." he whispered brokenly over the sound of creaking timbers and rushing water.

 

"I - I know Kier." She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to meet his eyes and smile. It was more like a pained grimace than anything remotely happy. "It - it's not a bad way to go, right?" she gripped her chains tight, knuckles going white with the pressure.

 

"Ashe you're - you're closer to the water line," Kier choked out, clearly seeing what Ashe already knew. She just nodded silently, yellow eyes dimming. They were close enough that Kier could lean forwards and just about bump his forehead against her upturned one if he tugged on his chains right. "I don't want to watch you die..." He was crying at this point, tears leaking out his bright blue eyes.

 

"I don't want you to watch me die either." Ashe sniffed, trying to fight back tears of her own. The water was at her neck now, the cold leaching the heat from her skin and making her shiver. "You don't have to, okay? You shouldn't. Just look away and I'll - I'll be fine." Her voice broken on the last word, unable to lie to those broken hearted eyes gazing at her.

 

"I won't leave you on your own." he whispered. "I won't let you go without a fight. I won't." He kissed her then, Ashe pushing herself up on her toes as far as the shackles would allow her to. The waterline was at her chin when he drew back, both their cheeks damp with tears. "Don't breathe through your nose. I'll - I'll just have to breathe for you until they come for us."

 

Ashe tried to smile again, this time managing it a little better than before. "Okay." She didn't think anyone was coming, for them, but she couldn't bear to go against him when they only had a few moments left. "You...You're really important to me Kier. I just wanted you to know.

 

Ashe sucked in a great breath just before the water rose over her face, shutting her eyes to avoid the sting of salt water in them. She missed the determined expression on Kier's face. "You're important to me too Ashe." he murmured before he took a breath and pushed his face under the water. His lips found hers and he passed her the air steadily, ignoring the way his hands shook above the water. She gave him a weak smile when he pulled back, eyes cracking open as he resurfaced for air. She watched him through the haze of the water, chest aching for a multitude of reasons and not all of them to do with holding her breath. Kier ducked under again, and they continued their exchange of air for several breaths.

 

Until Kier could no longer reach the surface. He tried futilely to tug on his chains, kicking at the floor. He almost lost the breath he had, before he turned to Ashe and hurriedly gave her everything he had. The kiss went on longer than the others, mostly because they both knew it was their last. When Kier drew back, Ashe was the first one to exhale and cough on the sea water, expression pained. Kier let out a sob at the sight and lost his own breath, the bubbles rushing up to join Ashe's last breath. He tugged at his chains and pushed himself forwards, bumping against Ashe. She managed to latch onto his arm, grip still strong even as she began to drown. He didn't look away as the glow began to fade from her eyes, nor did she let him go when his vision grew dark. They gazed into each other’s eyes until they drowned, forehead to forehead, grasping as what they could of their friend, together in their sinking prison. Never alone again.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Too Late](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4747418) by [Willow_River](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willow_River/pseuds/Willow_River)




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